Mutitjulu 'a community everyone wants to forget'

The Central Australian community which became the target for the Howard government's military-led intervention in the Northern Territory has again found itself lost in a wash of politics.

The MacDonnell Shire Council, which has been providing municipal services to Mutitjulu, will abandon the community at close of business today, sparking fears residents will be left without vital services.

The shire announced in early July that it had received legal advice indicating the community is the Federal Government's responsibility.

But after months of trying to find a solution, the Federal Government is still refusing to comment on the issue and is directing inquiries to National Parks, which also will not comment because the Government is in caretaker mode.

The Mutitjulu Community Aboriginal Corporation says the people of Mutitjulu are continuing to be neglected and are sick of waiting on governments.

The corporation's Vincent Forrester says the community is ready to look after itself.

"Mutitjulu is still neglected after 25 years of Commonwealth jurisdiction," he said.

"And also, this is a community that everyone wants to forget.

"They talk about the start of the intervention, the start of the intervention happened here, but not one lick of paint.

"We're going to show the minister when she comes.

"Have a look what they've done.

"They still too slow, they can't realise what's going on.

"They're still taking two hours to watch '60 Minutes', these blokes."

The Northern Territory's Local Government Minister, Malarndirri McCarthy, is due to visit Mutitjulu tomorrow, amid criticism from the Territory Opposition that it has been too slow in dealing with issues at the community.

The Territory Government says the community is the Federal Government's responsibility.

It has repeatedly asked the MacDonnell Shire to stay, with the shire twice extending its deadline.

Ms McCarthy says a private company has now been given a one-month contract to provide essential services to Mutitjulu.

She says there will be no interruption to services, including Centrelink, rubbish collection and the night patrol.

"It has been resolved in the sense that there are essential services continuing for Mutitjulu," she said.

"That's never been the issue.

"The issue really for me has been allowing the Anangu the opportunity to determine the way they want to see things forward and they haven't had that chance to directly talk to me and they're going to do that this week."

The MacDonnell Shire Council chief executive, Graham Taylor, says the future service delivery is ultimately the responsibility of the National Parks.

"We did make an offer and a suggestion about if we took it up it'd have to be by a direct contract," he said.

"We could take it up as a direct contract on a commercial basis with National Parks [but] no response."

Mr Taylor says the community may be better off under a new service provider.

"Council's been very supportive about what's right, what's in the best interests of the community at Mutitjulu," he said.